Beggs, John

Haines, Valerie A.

Howell, Susan

Hurlburt, Jeanne S.

English

ScholarWorks @ The University of New Orleans

University of New Orleans 
ScholarWorks@UNO 
Survey Research Center Publications Survey Research Center (UNO Poll) 
6-1-2006 
The 2006 Citizen Recovery Survey - New Orleans and Jefferson 
Parish 
Susan Howell 
University of New Orleans 
Jeanne S. Hurlburt 
Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College 
John Beggs 
Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College 
Valerie A. Haines 
University of Calgary 
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Recommended Citation 
Howell, Susan; Hurlburt, Jeanne S.; Beggs, John; and Haines, Valerie A., "The 2006 Citizen Recovery 
Survey - New Orleans and Jefferson Parish" (2006). Survey Research Center Publications. Paper 8. 
https://scholarworks.uno.edu/src_pubs/8 
This Report is brought to you for free and open access by the Survey Research Center (UNO Poll) at 
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The 2006 Citizen Recovery Survey 
New Orleans and Jefferson Parish 
 
 
 
University of New Orleans Survey Research Center 
and 
Louisiana State University Department of Sociology 
 
 
 
Dr. Susan E. Howell, UNO 
Dr. Jeanne S. Hurlbert, LSU 
Dr. John Beggs, LSU 
Dr. Valerie A. Haines, University of Calgary 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Special thanks for funding and assistance 
provided by the LSU Public Policy 
Research Lab and the LSU Hurricane Center 
 
Graduate Assistants: 
Alicia Jencik 
Lacie Michel 
Paige Miller 
Monique Sam  
Sally Robicheaux. 
 
See jbv.com/unosurvey/     
June 1, 2006 
The 2006 Citizen Recovery Survey: 
A Baseline 
 
The UNO Survey Research Center began its Quality of Life series in 1986.  Since then 
the quality of life and government services in Jefferson and Orleans parishes has been 
assessed every other year.  However, since Katrina, new problems and issues facing 
citizens require a new approach. 
 
We have begun a new series of surveys, the Citizen Recovery Surveys, which assess how 
people currently living in New Orleans and Jefferson are coping with their new lives. We 
measure problems they are having in everyday life, the losses they experienced, and their 
psychological condition.  
 
The results should be viewed as a baseline from which we will measure progress over the 
next few years. 
 
Our focus is on keeping people in the area, which is an important component of re-
population. Most research and public policy discussions have been about bringing 
back the displaced residents.  However, we cannot assume that everyone who is 
currently living in these parishes will stay. Some of the reasons people will stay or leave 
are contained in this survey. 
 
  The survey has limitations in the current environment, and these should be kept in mind. 
 
• These respondents are not the evacuees. 
• These are people currently living in New Orleans and Jefferson with land based 
phones. 
• They are the people in the best living conditions because they are in a house or 
apartment that is renovated enough to have a land based phone, and they are not 
in trailers. 
• The Orleans survey is limited to zip codes “populated” as of February 2006.1 
• The post-Katrina racial composition of these seven zip codes is not known, so the 
sample is presented without an adjustment for racial composition.  The 
consequence is that there are probably too few African Americans in the sample, 
but we don’t know the degree to which they are underrepresented. An alternative 
method is in the Appendix. 
• The Jefferson survey was weighted to represent the 2004 US Census estimates. 
 
                                                 
1 70113, 70114, 70115, 70116, 70118, 70130, 70131 
 1
Housing Losses 
 
 Orleans Jefferson 
Flooding 28% 32% 
Other damage 85% 85% 
Not in pre-Katrina home 20% 23% 
Living with others 28% 27% 
Current residence is 
temporary 
22% 30% 
 
• The housing and material losses among the entire pre-Katrina populations of these 
parishes are well known and documented.  But even among these respondents 
who are back in town, about one-third experienced flooding and 85% had other 
damage to their house or apartment.  
 
• It appears from these data that approximately one-fourth of the current residents 
of New Orleans and Jefferson, even those with land lines, are in some sort of 
transitional housing arrangement. Notice the questions; these questions are not 
typically asked in surveys of Americans.  
 
o About one-fifth are displaced from their pre-Katrina home, indicating 
serious upheaval in their life. 
o One-fourth are either living with others or have other people living with 
them.   
o Another fourth consider their current residence temporary.  
 
• One measure of recovery will be a decline in the number who are living with 
others or who describe their residence as temporary. 
 
Possessions and Jobs 
 
 Orleans Jefferson 
Lost any possessions  57% 60% 
Someone in household lost job 35% 40% 
 Person found another job 42% 49% 
Family income decreased 37% 24% 
 
• Over half of these residents lost some possessions, most commonly furniture, 
clothes, or a car in Katrina. 
 
• Significant numbers had someone in the household lose a job, and only about half 
of those found another job. 
 
• Probably most significant is the third of families in these parishes whose family 
income has decreased since Katrina. 
 2
 
• Another measure of recovery will be a decline in the number of families whose 
income decreased since the storm. 
 
Everyday Difficulties 
 
Percent experiencing difficulty: Orleans Jefferson 
 Getting groceries 41% 41% 
 Doing other shopping 68% 61% 
 With mail service 86% 71% 
 Getting around town 68% 60% 
 Getting medical care 45% 34% 
 Making home repairs 72% 59% 
 
• As we all know, life can be difficult and inconvenient in this metro area. We 
asked residents how difficult it was for them to accomplish everyday tasks.  
Again, these are not questions typically asked in surveys in this country, 
illustrating the unique challenges facing residents of New Orleans and Jefferson. 
 
• Particularly difficult is getting and receiving mail, and making home repairs. 
Large majorities in New Orleans are having difficulties with mail and home 
repairs, and, although Jefferson residents are having less trouble, a majority in 
that parish report difficulties with mail and home repairs. 
 
• The traffic problems in this area are reflected in two-thirds of respondents saying 
that they have trouble getting around town and shopping. 
 
• Not surprisingly, most of these everyday activities are reported as more difficult 
for people living in New Orleans than for those living in Jefferson. 
 
• Recovery will be measured by a decline in the number of people reporting these 
everyday difficulties. 
 
Health Problems 
 
 Orleans Jefferson 
Have health problem made worse 
by Katrina 
 
27%
 
25% 
Condition staying the same or 
getting worse (among those with 
the condition) 
78%
 
71% 
 
 
 3
• The effects of Katrina on the health of residents has received wide attention, 
especially given the shortage of medical personnel. One-fourth of the residents of 
both parishes reported that they have a health problem made worse by Katrina. 
 
• Most of these people are not experiencing an improvement in their condition.  It is 
either staying the same or getting worse. 
 
Worry and Sleep 
 
 Orleans Jefferson 
Worried about what will happen to you over the next five years? 
 Somewhat worried 36% 33% 
 Very worried 31% 34% 
  
Sleeping worse than pre-Katrina 38% 28% 
 
• Seven months after the storm, the psychological effects of Katrina in New 
Orleans and Jefferson are still apparent. 
 
• Problems with worry and sleep are the most significant findings.  Two-thirds are 
worried about what will happen to them (not the city) in the next five years. 
 
• One-third are sleeping worse than before the storm. 
 
• These are indicators of stress that, without improvement, may cause some people 
to leave the area.  Again, a decline in the worry level and improvement in the 
ability to sleep will be indicators of recovery.  
 
Depression and Mood 
 
Orleans JeffersonPercent reported feeling that way 
5-7 days last week 2003* 2006 2006
 Tired -- 37% 39%
 Worried -- 29% 28%
 Irritable -- 20% 21%
 Everything an effort 14% 22% 24%
 Trouble falling asleep 11% 30% 21%
 Mind not on track 9% 23% 13%
 Sad 8% 21% 19%
 *Source:  Drs. Jeanne Hurlbert and John Beggs, LSU Dept. of Sociology 
 
 
• As we might expect, indicators of mood and depression have worsened since 
Katrina. 
 
 4
• The most prominent symptoms of distress in New Orleans and Jefferson are being 
tired, worried, irritable, having trouble sleeping, feeling everything is an effort, 
and sadness. 
 
• Compared to 2003, over twice as many people in New Orleans have trouble 
sleeping, keeping their mind on track, and feel sad.  Most troubling is that one-
fifth or more report feeling this way five to seven days in the previous week.  The 
specific number of five, six, or seven days should not be taken literally, but as a 
general statement that the person experiences this symptom nearly every day. 
 
• Our measure of recovery six months from now will be a decline in the number of 
people who experience these symptoms so frequently. 
 
Race and Losses 
 
 Orleans Jefferson 
 Black White Black White 
     
Flooding 46% 19% * 37% 29%  
Other damage 90% 83%  93% 84%  
Not in pre-Katrina home 34% 13% * 51% 15% * 
Living with others 48% 18% * 38% 22%  
Current residence is temporary 34% 16% * 57% 21% * 
Lost any possessions  79% 47% * 85% 53% * 
Someone in family lost job 46% 29% * 75% 30% * 
 Person found another job 19% 56% * 37% 54% * 
Family income decreased 48% 31% * 40% 19% * 
Difficulty getting medical care 60% 37% * 52% 31% * 
* Statistically significant difference between blacks and whites 
 
• Blacks currently living in these parishes incurred heavier losses from Hurricane 
Katrina than whites. We already know that, within the pre-Katrina population, 
blacks were disproportionately damaged, and it appears that the same pattern 
exists in the post-Katrina population. 
 
• In both parishes blacks are more than whites likely to:  
o Be displaced from their pre-Katrina home 
o Live in a temporary housing situation 
o Have lost possessions 
o Have lost a job due to Katrina 
o Experience a decrease in family income 
o Experience difficulty getting medical care 
 
• Because the New Orleans sample probably under represents blacks in the seven 
zip codes, the actual material losses in Orleans reported in earlier tables are likely 
 5
to be underestimated.  In the Appendix we weighted the black respondents 
upward from 33% to 44% of the New Orleans sample to illustrate the magnitude 
of change that would result.  Material losses in New Orleans increase about 2-3%.  
 
• Racial differences on the depression/mood indicators are more mixed.  In both 
parishes, blacks are more likely to feel that they can’t “get going”, that everything 
is an effort, and that they can’t shake “the blues.”  On the remaining mood 
indicators, there was either no significant racial difference, or the difference only 
existed in one of the two parishes. 
 
• Most importantly, blacks and whites are equally worried about what is going 
to happen to them in the future, and have equal trouble sleeping. 
 
What People Want from Government 
 
Open ended: Orleans Jefferson 
Levees/ hurricane preparation 24% 27% 
Housing/help repair houses 20% 17% 
Financial assistance 16% 15% 
 
• In a free response question, people were asked what government at any level 
could do to help.  The most common free response answers were: 
 
o Rebuilding the levees and providing greater hurricane protection 
o Assisting with rebuilding and repairing houses 
o Providing general financial assistance 
 
• These three areas are consistent with the current policy proposals, indicating that 
local and state government are attempting to respond to citizen needs. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 6
Overall Satisfaction 
 
Satisfied with life in 
Orleans/Jefferson 
Orleans Jefferson 
2004 59% 89% 
2006 48% 70% 
 
 
• It is quite predictable that fewer people are satisfied with life in Orleans and 
Jefferson compared to two years ago, however, satisfaction in with life in 
Jefferson is still quite high. 
 
• The number satisfied in New Orleans is particularly important to watch over time 
as an indicator of recovery in the City.  This item can be considered an overall 
barometer of whether life is improving for New Orleans residents. 
 
 
 
 
Note:  For trends in objective indicators of recovery see the Brookings Institute Katrina 
Index reports at http://www.brookings.edu/metro/pubs/200605_KatrinaIndex.pdf
 7
Appendix 
 
 
Survey Methodology: 
Dates of Interviewing:  March 24 – April 30, 2006 
Number of Interviews:  Jefferson, 266; Orleans, 204 
Sampling Error:  Jefferson, 6%, Orleans, 7% 
Orleans survey covered only seven zip codes (see page 1, fn 1) 
Percent Black in Jefferson sample: 23% 
Percent Black in New Orleans sample: 33% 
 
 
Weighting Blacks Upward in New Orleans 
 
Housing Losses 
(Actual results compared to weighting Blacks to 44% of sample) 
 
 Orleans 
(33% Bl)
Orleans 
(44% Bl) 
Flooding 28% 31% 
Other damage 85% 86% 
Not in pre-Katrina home 20% 22% 
Living with others 28% 31% 
Current residence is 
temporary 
22% 24% 
 
Possessions and Jobs 
(Actual results compared to weighting Blacks to 44% of sample) 
 
 Orleans
(33% Bl)
Orleans 
(44% Bl) 
Lost any possessions  57% 61% 
Someone in family lost job 35% 37% 
 Person found another job 42% 37% 
Family income decreased 37% 39% 
Difficulty getting medical care 45% 47% 
 
Contacts: 
 
Susan E. Howell, SRC, University of New Orleans (sehowell@uno.edu) 
Jeanne S. Hurlbert, LSU Dept of Sociology and LSU Hurricane Center (sohurl@lsu.edu) 
John Beggs, LSU Dept. of Sociology and LSU Hurricane Center (jbeggs@lsu.edu) 
Valerie Haines, University of Calgary Dept. of Sociology and LSU Hurricane Center 
(haines@ucalgary.ca) 
 8


The 2006 Citizen Recovery Survey - New Orleans and Jefferson Parish

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